A look at where Citi Bike is expanding in the East Village

[Archived photo from 4th Street by Derek Berg]

The East Village bike fleet is getting a boost. Citi Bike tweeted out its expansion plans for 2019 yesterday...

In the coming months, we're boosting service by adding 1250 new bikes and 2500 docks in the busiest parts of the system throughout Manhattan & Brooklyn.

Want to learn more? Visit @NYC_DOT for their full presentations on this infill plan: https://t.co/2Q5bwJUfWd

— Citi Bike (@CitiBikeNYC) January 22, 2019

The tweet included links to the presentations that DOT officials made to local Community Boards in recent months about the expansion. (The presentation to CB3 from Nov. 12 is at this link. And the final expanded docking-station map is here.)

According to the DOT materials, there are 50 existing Citi Bike docking stations within the boundaries of Community Board 3*; 19 of those will see of expansion of anywhere between two and 27 bikes ... with four more stations added overall.

This map shows the existing Citi Bike docking stations above East Houston up to 14th Street. As the map shows, the new docking stations will be coming to 12th Street and Avenue C (32 bikes) ... and First Avenue and Sixth Street (number of bikes not listed) ...


[Click on image for more detail]

This map outlines the number of additional bikes coming to existing docking stations... with the biggest gains on Sixth Street at Avenue B (plus 27), 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B (plus 25), and Avenue C and Second Street (plus 25)...



There isn't a definite timeline on these additions — "in the coming months" per the Citi Bike tweet, and "early 2019" per the CB3 presentation.

In late November, Citi Bike announced that it was tripling its current fleet of 12,000 bikes — and doubling the system’s coverage area — as part of a five-year, $100-million investment from the company’s new owner, Lyft. This addition makes Citi Bike the largest bike-share system in North America.

* The boundaries of CB3 are 14th Street on the north, the East River on the east and the south, and Fourth Avenue and the Bowery on the west, extending to Baxter and Pearl Streets and the Brooklyn Bridge south of Canal Street.

Checking in on the under-renovation Ottendorfer Library

The Ottendorfer Library, 135 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street, closed for upgrades this past Aug. 6.

According to a message to patrons from branch manager Kristin Kuehl, workers are installing a new fire alarm and life-safety system. "Due to the building's age and landmark status, the project is expected to take six months," Kuehl wrote this past August.

Some patrons were hopeful for a February return. A new-ish sign on the library's front door (thanks Choresh Wald!) now notes that they will be closed through "late winter." The first day of Spring is March 20. So there's time left for late winter.

Anyway! Here's some history of the branch, cut-n-pasted from the previous Ottendorfer post...

The Ottendorfer Branch of the New York Public Library opened in 1884 as New York City's first free public library. Designed by German-born architect William Schickel, this landmark building combines Queen Anne and neo-Italian Renaissance styles with an exterior ornamented by innovative terracotta putti. The branch was a gift of Oswald Ottendorfer, owner of the New-Yorker Staats-Zeitung newspaper.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Ottendorfer Library closing for 6 months to install new fire-suppression system

A visit to the Tompkins Square Library branch on 10th Street

Local Faith Communities of the East Village present their annual 'Spiritual Sounds' on Sunday

Via the EVG inbox...

The 10th annual "Spiritual Sounds" will be presented on Sunday, Jan. 27, 5-7 p.m. at Town & Village Synagogue, 334 E. 14th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

This group of neighborhood faith leaders (priests, imams, ministers, rabbis, cantors and monks) all serving within a few blocks of each other first gathered to stand up to hate, intolerance, and prejudice, then, growing naturally to know one another personally, enjoy each other’s company, build the trust needed, help and support each other, remain a shining example of NYC’s community of diversity who celebrate together the depth and richness of our many traditions.

The event is free, open to all. No tickets are required.

The faith organizations:
Medina Masjid Mosque
The Second Avenue Church
The Bhakti Center
The Light of Guidance Sufi Center
The Catholic Worker
The Shul of New York
Town & Village Synagogue
Sixth Street Community Synagogue
Middle Collegiate Church
Most Holy Redeemer-Nativity Catholic Church
The Nechung Foundation
Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Protection
St. Mary’s American Orthodox Church
St. Mark’s Church-in-the Bowery

The 9-year challenge

Derek Berg shares this Ferrari photo on Seventh Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue today... almost right on the hallowed ground of [holding back tears] the whatever-happened-to EV Lambo...


[Photo from 2010 by EVG reader Joe]

Noted

An unknown ‘side effect’ of driving a ‘wannabe pharmacy’ through the #EastVillage on the midnight—getting pulled over by 👮🏻‍♂️PO McVeigh and 👮🏻‍♂️PO Manel. Good stop. Great arrest. Thanks guys! #NYPDProtecting pic.twitter.com/HcMYZiDCsK

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) January 22, 2019

Reminders: City Council's oversight hearing on the revised East River Park stormproofing is tomorrow

Tomorrow afternoon at 1, City Council is holding a joint committee hearing with de Blasio administration officials and relevant agency commissioners about the updated East Side Coastal Resiliency Project. (Find the agenda item at this link.)

Council members — led by District 2's Carlina Rivera — hope to learn more about the city's new vision for the revamp to stormproof East River Park. The updated plan was released in the fall, in an L-train-ish fashion that caught many stakeholders by surprise after years of outreach and groundwork.

The updated plan — released without any community input — is radically different than what had been discussed, and its expected cost will increase from $760 million to $1.45 billion, while closing and burying the current East River Park for up to three-plus years. (The city's new design renderings are at this link.)

The Times caught up to the story in a piece headlined To Save East River Park, the City Intends to Bury It on Sunday.

An excerpt from the Times:

In a separate interview, the Parks Department commissioner, Mitchell J. Silver, said that unlike passive parks that double as floodplains, like those by Jamaica Bay, East River Park has structures, lights and synthetic turf, which “does not do well” in floods. And with the river projected to rise two and a half feet in 30 years, raising the park is the only way to save it.

By bringing in landfill and soil by barge, the new plan allows for daytime construction away from the highway, minimizing traffic disruptions. After its scheduled March 2020 launch, the new plan can thus be completed in three years rather than five, with flood protection in place by 2022.

Still, the park’s closing under either plan has left people like Joan Reinmuth, a retired nurse and 30-year East Village resident, doubtful. “This park is more than a recreation facility,” she said. “These kids in NYCHA houses don’t take vacation cruises. They don’t shop at Zabar’s for fish; they fish to eat. Early mornings, men are shaving in the fountains.”

Rivera, who called for Wednesday's oversight hearing, shared her thoughts on the project in series of tweets on Friday...

Although the NYT headline above suggests otherwise, we still do not have any real data and analysis that explains why the entire park needs to buried and replaced, which would double original cost of this massive project. (3/5)

— Carlina Rivera 利華娜 (@CarlinaRivera) January 18, 2019

I think Vaylateena Jones sums up how we all feel: “The way this planning is being done is disempowering. City officials collaborated with us over four years and came up with a detailed design — only to now return with this entirely new design.” (5/5)

— Carlina Rivera 利華娜 (@CarlinaRivera) January 18, 2019

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: The reality of storm-proofing East River Park in 2020

Storm center: Questions linger over updated plans for the East Side Coastal Resiliency project

Mayor's new East River Park flood plan faces City Council scrutiny

Joe’s Steam Rice Roll heading to 36 St. Mark's Place; will be the 5th restaurant in 4 years here

Joe’s Steam Rice Roll is reportedly planning to open a outpost this spring at 36 St. Marks Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Eater had this about the shop and its owner, Joe Rong:

Rong began selling his rice noodle rolls from a tiny storefront in Flushing in 2017, and his craft quickly stood out. Unlike many other vendors, he grinds the rice for the batter in an electric-powered stone mill daily. His stand has drawn a loyal following, prompting him to expand to Manhattan last November with a stall inside Canal Street Market.

He says he’s traveling to China soon to perfect the restaurant’s sauces and seasonings and expects to add new drinks to the menu, too.

You can read more about the food at Joe's in this Hungry City column at the Times last week.

No. 36 has seen a variety of quick-serve concepts come and go in recents years, including Cheers Cut, the Taiwanese mini-chain of fried foods ... Friterie Belgian Fries ... Fasta ("Pasta Your Way") ... and the $1.50 branch of 2 Bros. Pizza.

Former Nicoletta space for rent on 2nd Avenue and 10th Street

The for lease signs are up now in the windows at 160 Second Ave. at 10th Street, the former home of Nicoletta, Chef Michael White's pizzeria.

According to an online listing, the monthly asking rent is $25,000 (1,700 rentable square feet on the ground level).

As first reported here on Dec. 21, Nicoletta was opening in a new, undisclosed spot in the East Village where they are continuing with a delivery service.

Not sure where they are working from these days, but the Nicoletta Instagram is actively pushing the pies...

View this post on Instagram

It’s Championship Sunday! We are offering 15% off all signature pies and 1/2 off wings when you call in your order and mention “Game Day Deals.” 🏈🍕🍗

A post shared by Nicoletta | NYC (@nicolettanyc) on Jan 20, 2019 at 5:59am PST

A previous Nicoletta Instagram post noted that their new EV space will also feature expanded menu items and delivery zone.

Nicoletta opened to much hoopla in June 2012.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Nicoletta Pizzeria closes 2nd Avenue dining room, plans move to a new delivery-only location

Cafe Centosette closes on Second Avenue

On the Mark Cleaners now open on 13th Street

[Photo by Steven]

On the Mark Cleaners made its debut last week at 400 E. 13th St. just east of First Avenue.

The drop-off dry-cleaning service is from the same owner as On the Mark Barber Shop, which was previously in this storefront. The 10-year-old barber shop had opened a second location in August 2017 at 350 E. 13th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.... and eventually swapped out this space for the cleaners.

Cheska's pizza now serving in the Bowery Market

[EVG file photo]

Cheska's is the newest tenant (as of Jan. 16) in the Bowery Market, the year-round open-air food court at 348 Bowery and Great Jones.

Here's more about Cheska's style of pizza (via the Cheska's website):

Cheska's pizza has a gluten-free and vegan crust. It's an elevated offering. Cheska’s two main crusts are cauliflower and sweet potato. Both crusts are available in an 8-inch personal size or a 12-inch shareable pie. We also serve riced cauliflower bowls.

This is the first full-time space for Cheska's, owned and operated by Cheska Mauban, a Queens native who fine-tuned her own recipes to create the menu here.

View this post on Instagram

First week was a success! Make sure you come by if you haven’t already! 💫 📷: @yaazzzin 🔶 #cheskas #feedyourbestlife

A post shared by Cheska’s (@cheskas) on Jan 19, 2019 at 1:22pm PST

Weekend recap: Nobletree Coffee debuts (and a bonus photo of the Gap in this post!)

Holiday weekend ICYMI: Nobletree Coffee opened on Saturday on the northwest corner of Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place.

Per their Facebook About: "Nobletree is an innovative coffee brand of Farmers, Roasters, and Baristas based in Brooklyn with proprietary coffee farms in Brazil."

As previously noted, the corner space was vacant these past three years after DF Mavens closed. Before DF Mavens served vegan ice cream here, the space was the cafe Eastside Bakery (.net?) and Roastown Coffee.

And as a few previous posts have pointed out, the Gap was here from 1988 to 2001...



... oh wait...



The photo is by Barry Joseph, and it was published in Ada Calhoun's book "St. Marks Is Dead."

This is what the Sunshine Cinema looks like today — 1 year after it closed

I took these photos of the former Sunshine Cinema this morning on Houston between Eldridge and Forsyth. The five-screen theater closed last Jan. 21 after a 17-year run.



The structure, which dates to 1898, is still awaiting demolition to make way for a 9-story boutique office complex with a retail component.

East End Capital and K Property Group, who bought the building for $31.5 million in the spring of 2017, have launched a website marketing the spaces.

Here's the building's "redefined vision" ...

From acclaimed architect Roger Ferris, the only new development of its type on the Lower East Side, 141 East Houston is a new frame for viewing the neighborhood. Column-free and unbounded by walls, it reinterprets the area through a bold geometric perimeter of cladding and glass. State-of-the-art workspaces and private terraces reframe expectations, while a well-connected location recasts perspectives.

With its glass frame and dynamic courtyard running the length of its eastern side, doubling as a second facade, 141 East Houston challenges the distinction between indoors and out.

The ground-floor space along Houston Street will include outdoor seating in "Houston Alley" ...



In March 2018, Gregory Kraut, a managing partner at K Property Group, said that the theater would be demolished in two months.

As Curbed noted in January 2018: "Rising rents put the theater into financial duress; it was served a death blow in 2012 when the Lower East Side community board rejected Landmark’s proposal to offer food and beverage service at the theater."

Last May, CB3 later OK'd a full liquor license for the new 14-screen Regal Cinemas outpost in Essex Crossing.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Discarded theater seats and goodbyes at the Sunshine Cinema

The 9-story boutique office building coming to the former Sunshine Cinema space

A celebratory ad on the purchase of 139 E. Houston St., current home of the Sunshine Cinema

The boutique office building replacing the Sunshine Cinema will be 'unbounded by walls' with an outdoor space called Houston Alley

ICYMI: There was a slight decline in the number of NYC chain stores this past year

ICYMI (I did!): The Center for an Urban Future released its 11th annual ranking of national retailers in New York City late last year ... and their analysis reveals a 0.3 percent decline in the number of chain stores in 2018, marking the first year-over-year citywide drop in national retail locations since they began documenting NYC's chain environment.

While there was a 0.3 decline overall in the five boroughs, the number of chain stores decreased by 2.3 percent in Manhattan, which amounts to a loss of 67 locations, according to the report.

Here's more from the report...

Our 11h annual analysis of national retailer locations in New York also finds that more of the city’s chain retailers are shrinking than growing for the first time. Buffeted by headwinds from online shopping, a record 124 retailers — 37 percent of the 331 national retail companies in our study — reduced their footprint over the past year. This compares to 99 retailers that registered a net gain in stores over the past year, and 108 retailers whose footprints remained unchanged.

Overall, our analysis shows that the 331 retailers listed in last year’s ranking reduced their total footprint in New York City by 27 store locations, declining from a total of 7,876 stores in 2017 to 7,849 stores in 2018 — an 0.3 percent decrease. The slowdown is led by Manhattan, where the number of chain store locations shrank by 2.3 percent — the sharpest single year decline to date. In every other borough, the number of chain stores increased again this year.

The pullback was most pronounced among merchandise retailers that are struggling to compete in an age of e-commerce, with broad-based declines among retailers selling clothing, shoes, accessories, jewelry, and cosmetics.

And...

Dunkin Donuts is the biggest national retailer in the city for the tenth year running, with 624 locations, gaining 12 locations since last year. MetroPCS (now called Metro by T-Mobile, but retaining a distinct brand) has 472 locations, up from 444 last year. Subway is still in third place with 330 locations despite having lost 103 locations since last year. Only seven retailers grew by more than 10 locations: AT&T, MetroPCS, Sprint, T-Mobile, Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Dollar Tree.

A few other takeaways...

• Starbucks has more stores in Manhattan than any other national retailer, with 227 locations.

• The 10003 zip code, which includes parts of the East Village west of First Avenue, Union Square and stretches of Fifth Avenue, has the second-highest number of chain store locations in NYC at 173 (down from 179 the previous year). No. 1: the New Springville neighborhood in Staten Island (10314) with 180.

• The 10009 zip code is way down on the list with 27 chain stores in 2018, down two from 29 the previous year.

Access the full report at this link.

Something to keep in mind, via the Greenwich Village Society of Historic Preservation:

[T]he report counts and ranks the number of chain stores, not their concentration, i.e. how many chain stores are in an area as a percentage of the overall number of stores; thus a zip code may actually have a very high number of chains but a relatively low percentage, and vice-versa, depending upon how much area it covers and how many shops there are in the area...

Today's Urban Etiquette marijuana sign of the day

Paraphrasing here, but someone is requesting that people do not smoke marijuana in the lobby of this building along Second Street... because "not everybody likes that shit." The sign leaver's advice? Do it inside your own apartment.

No word about about the greasy-looking smears on the sign.

Thanks to chang0blanco for the share!

Week in Grieview

[Yesterday's sunrise view from 14th Street]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Off-duty cop pistol-whipped during attempted robbery on 13th Street (Thursday)

A visit to CAVAglass on 7th Street (Wednesday)

Permits filed to demolish former P.C. Richard & Son property to make way for the tech hub (Monday)

Tu-Lu's Gluten-Free Bakery has closed on 11th Street after 9 years (Wednesday)

Restoration watch: 74 E. 4th St., the crown jewel of La Mama's theater community (Tuesday)

The completed new work at the Bowery Mural Wall (Saturday)

The former Grassroots Tavern ready for a renovation (Tuesday)

FULL full reveal at the historic Hamilton-Holly House on St. Mark's Place (Tuesday)

Nobletree Coffee debuts on 2nd Avenue at St. Mark's Place (Saturday)

L-train non-shutdown fallout: Bike lane battle shaping up along 12th and 13th streets (Monday)

Tree-mendous fire wipes out remains of the holiday season in 4th Street pile (Wednesday)

A birthday celebration for Ray at Ray's Candy Store (Tuesday)

Rue-B's daytime service now includes CBD-infused coffee (Thursday)

January Christmas miracles: The holiday tree lights are back ON in Tompkins Square Park (Friday)

Reminders: Here's how you can apply to be a Community Board member (Friday)

The Bowery Bond closes on the Bowery (Thursday)

KC Gourmet Empanadas coming soon to 38 Avenue B (Monday)

Mandala Tibetan Store is closing on St. Mark's Place (Monday)

12 months of inactivity at 75 1st Ave. (Wednesday)

Beijing Express pulls into 3rd Avenue after Gala's quick exit (Monday)

Former Old Monk space for rent on Avenue B (Thursday)

PARTIAL reveal at 80 E. 10th St. (Monday)

...and EVG reader Trixie reports that someone placed MulchFest remains in the tree beds along 12th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B...







... there's also fresh mulch in the skateboard planter on Seventh Street...



---

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EVG Etc.: Comedians let their hair down at 2nd Street barbershop; plus, winter raptors!

The Third Street Music School Settlement is hosting a free community celebration tomorrow in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. featuring a drum circle, a sing-along and more (RSVP here)

The Original Barbershop on Second Street doubles as a comedy club at night (The Post)

If you ever wondered what decoupage artist John Derian's East Village home looked like (Architectural Digest)

After 121 years, the storied LES-based Jewish-American publication The Forward is ending its print run (NPR)

A roundup of the winter raptors spotted in the neighborhood (Laura Goggin Photography)

The seemingly overlooked drama "Leave No Trace," which scored 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, has a return engagement at the Metrograph (Official site)

Hope for Loft Law advocates (Gothamist)

Map things: Listicle of restaurants and bars around Union Square (Eater)

More about the Integral Yoga Natural Foods Store closure last month on West 13th Street (The Villager ... previously)

Diversions: About that Iggy Pop guest spot that never aired on "Miami Vice" (Dangerous Minds)

Weather upstate KOs Greenmarket at Tompkins Square Park today

Info posted on Facebook yesterday...

Saturday's parting shot

A shell game on Third Street ... thanks to EVG reader Aaron Wilson for sharing the photo today...

Nobletree Coffee debuts on 2nd Avenue at St. Mark's Place

That Nobletree Coffee outpost is now open on the northwest corner of Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place... EVG regular Lola Sáenz shared these photos this afternoon...



The Brooklyn-based Nobletree has several locations in NYC, including in the Dekalb Market Hall and Westfield World Trade Center.

Here's more about them via their website:

Nobletree’s name reflects the coffee tree’s alluring history and is a nod of respect to those who first transported coffee trees from their native home in Ethiopia to the tropics of the Atlantic. Today, Nobletree Coffee continues that tradition of respect by valuing everyone involved in growing, roasting, and preparing coffee as team members united in working toward the common goal of delivering a superior product to the most discerning consumers.

This prime corner space has sat empty for three years ... ever since DF Mavens closed.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Nobletree Coffee is the next tenant for 37 St. Mark's Place and 2nd Avenue

The return of Grant Shaffer's NY See

After a late-December break, happy to welcome back NY See, East Village-based illustrator Grant Shaffer's comic series — an observational sketch diary (now with a splash of color for 2019!) of things that he sees and hears around the neighborhood ... and NYC.

The Troll Museum briefly checks into the Ace Hotel

[Photo courtesy of Rev. Jen]

Reverend Jen's Troll Museum has been enjoying a return engagement this week... in partnership with the Outsider Art Fair, pieces from the Troll Museum are on display in the Ace Hotel lobby on 29th Street between Fifth Avenue and Broadway.

The Times has a piece in today's paper on Reverend Jen and the museum's history....

For 16 years, Reverend Jen managed a sprawling version of this installation in the cramped living room of her sixth-floor apartment on Orchard Street. She called it the Lower East Side Troll Museum, and it became a wacky downtown landmark accessible by ringing her buzzer. Fans of the kitschy dolls, which became popular in the 1960s, made pilgrimages from around the world to visit her collection. But when she was evicted in 2016, the museum abruptly closed, and an oasis of strange vanished from the Lower East Side.

...

“The troll museum is probably the silliest idea I had in my life,” she said. “But people responded to it, so I have to keep it going. If more people carried out their silly ideas, then the world would be a more interesting place.”

...

Reverend Jen also seemed pleased to bring the trolls out of retirement, even if her exhibition space is located awkwardly behind the hotel’s front desk. “I’m really excited to be doing this because the last few years haven’t always been so great,” she said. “When I ring buzzers at my old building, I realize no one I know is left. It feels like an anvil on my chest.”

She is living in Sheepshead Bay these days.

Trolling a Hotel will be on display through tomorrow.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reverend Jen departs her LES home, and Troll Museum, for now

Wall to wall

The completed new work at the Bowery Mural Wall... Here's more on it via photographer Martha Cooper, who has been documenting the wall work this past week:

A blast from the past. TATS CRU is honoring the history of the Houston Bowery wall by creating a mural based on a photo of one of the very first walls painted here and inviting 80s writers to collaborate. Crash, Daze, Zephyr & Dez are among the legends who have dropped by to add their names.

The work includes a tribute to Tony Goldman, real-estate developer and proprietor of the Bowery Mural Wall. He died in 2012 at age 68.

And a time-lapse titled In a New York Minute...

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Goldman Global Arts (@goldmanglobalarts) on Jan 18, 2019 at 6:46pm PST

Red alert

Debi Martini, bassist and vocalist of Red Aunts, died this past week at age 50. A cause of death was not released. The band, from Long Beach, Calif., came together in 1991 and released five records. They last played in the area back in June at Rough Trade in Brooklyn.

The clip here features SIX promo videos from their Saltbox release from 1996.

P.S.
RIP Lorna Doom

January Christmas miracles: The holiday tree lights are back ON in Tompkins Square Park

EVG reader boxysean brings us this breaking news today:

The Christmas tree lights are on! It's a New Year's miracle!

The workers were talking about how they were changing the ballast.

As previously reported, the lights went dark several days before Dec. 25, and remained off the entire holiday season. It makes sense that they are working again on this Jan. 18.

Meanwhile, the mysterious hole near the tree remains in place, mysteriously.

Updated 2:18 p.m.

Here some closeups via Goggla...





Updated 5 p.m.



Previously on EV Grieve:
At the 27th Tompkins Square Park holiday tree lightning

Pre-storm prep in Tompkins Square Park

Ahead of Harper's arrival this weekend, the squirrels of Tompkins Square Park are stocking up on essentials, including peanuts ... peanut butter ... bananas ... pizza ... Hershey's Cocoa ... Toaster Strudel ... coconut drinks ... and don't forget spoons.

Photo today by Derek Berg.

Morning reports: The MTA apparently cool with Cuomo's revised L-train rehab plan

The MTA says that it's onboard with Gov. Cuomo's plan to do away with a full shutdown of the L train between Bedford Avenue and Eighth Avenue.

This announcement came yesterday, just two days after board members called for an independent review of the new proposal.

You can read quickie recaps at the Daily News ... amNY ... and the Post, who noted that "[a]n MTA insider said the announcement had Cuomo’s fingerprints all over it."

As for that announcement, here's the official MTA news release issued last night:

As you know the MTA had previously scheduled a complete shutdown of the L Subway train beginning April 27. The disruption of service was to allow reconstruction of the two tubes between Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Late last year a design review team of international experts was brought in to review the final plan, and they proposed new construction alternatives and technology which have been used effectively in other countries and industries. The new methods and means include laser light technology to determine structural defects, smart fiber optic sensor technology, and carbon fiber wrapping to reinforce components. Some of these alternatives have not been used by the MTA before and the design integration would be an innovation for the MTA.

The design firm managing the L Subway train project from the beginning has been Parsons Brinckerhoff (now called WSP). WSP has done extensive work studying the new design alternatives and has informed the MTA (and discussed at a public meeting on January 15) that the proposed construction design alternatives are indeed applicable to the L Subway train and can significantly reduce construction time and thus the inconvenience to our riders. Therefore, the total shutdown of both tunnels and all service scheduled for April 27 will not be necessary. We do anticipate a shutdown of one tube on nights and weekends, however service both ways (between Manhattan and Brooklyn) would be scheduled 24/7.

This project is a major priority for the MTA and reconstruction will be supervised by MTA Capital Construction and overseen by MTA Managing Director Veronique Hakim. The MTA will also hire an independent consultant to oversee safety operations that will report directly to the Board. The MTA is now working with the various contractors on a new final construction schedule and contracts which delete some elements of the initial construction plan and add the new design alternatives. We do not believe the cost of reconstruction will increase, and given the tremendous benefits to the riding public, reduction in the volume of traffic and savings from the traffic mitigation efforts, it is a clear positive alternative and in the public interest.

We expect the formulation of the final construction schedule and contract completions to take several weeks. The current construction estimate is 15 to 20 months. As soon as we have more definitive information we will provide it to our customers and the public.

So no word yet on cost or the new construction schedule and other aspects of the L-tube work, such as its impact on residents who live along 14th Street between First Avenue and Avenue B. Cuomo's new plan calls for repairs to occur on nights and weekends, when workers will close one tube at a time with trains running every about 20 minutes or so.

At the MTA board meeting Tuesday, Manhattan Borough President "seemed exasperated over the many unanswered questions." Per the Times: "This is better than ‘Law & Order,’ which we all watch on a daily basis, in terms of intrigue," she said.

So who know what will happen next. As amNY reported:

The MTA appears to be confidently moving ahead with the plans, even though the MTA board will have to approve any material changes to the contract for the work, which has long been set with contractors Judlau and TC Electric. During a public hearing earlier this week, board members expressed discomfort about voting on any redrafted contract before an independent review of the proposal was competed.

Previously on EV Grieve:
L-train non-shutdown fallout: Bike lane battle shaping up along 12th and 13th streets (54 comments)

Reminders: Here's how you can apply to be a Community Board member

Application season continues for the 2019-2021 class of Manhattan Community Board members (it started in early December). So this is your your chance to be part of your local Community Board (CB3!).

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer's office sent out a reminder yesterday about the applications, which are due Feb. 8. Per the EVG inbox:

Interested in what gets built in your community and how government works to deliver services in your neighborhood? Apply to join one of Manhattan's 12 Community Boards.

Every Community Board has 50 seats which are filled for two-year terms by volunteers, who are selected by the Borough President and local City Council members. Half the seats are up for appointment or reappointment every year.

Community Boards get a seat at the table in high-stakes land use, real estate, and zoning negotiations, and they work directly with city agencies to influence how government services are delivered at the neighborhood level.

If you'd like to serve as a member of your Community Board, apply online here! You can also print the application and drop it off by mail or in-person. The deadline is Feb. 8, 2019.

Per the application: "Community board members must live, work, go to school or have some other significant interest in the community board in which they want to serve."

Back in November, voters said "yes" to Proposal 3, which imposes term limits for the volunteers who sit on Community Boards.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The community board-State Liquor Authority drinking game

How can I really be expected to post today when New York will be a snowy, freezing hell this weekend?

Thank you New York Post for that headline.

And what the paper reports about the weather possibilities:

A fast-moving storm will dump an inch of snow an hour on the city starting at 6 p.m. Saturday and possibly into Sunday, when rain — and then an arctic blast — will turn the Big Apple into a treacherous tundra.

Flakes will fall “hard and quick” before turning to rain sometime between midnight and 3 a.m. Sunday, meteorologists said.

And another take with illustrations...

The NWS has issued a Winter Storm Watch for NYC. Our NY1 official forecast is for 2-4" of snow with snow changing to rain, followed by a flash freeze Sunday night. Conditions will be changeable. pic.twitter.com/Rx8YSJt3SD

— Erick Adame (@ErickAdameOnTV) January 17, 2019

Perhaps the biggest weather story unfolding for NYC is the Dangerous Cold on the way. Snow Saturday night could accumulate briefly but look at the Arctic Blast that arrives Sunday night and peaks on Monday. pic.twitter.com/118nSyRBtQ

— Erick Adame (@ErickAdameOnTV) January 17, 2019

The area is currently under a Winter Weather Watch. There is a 90 percent chance of unbridled media hysteria and random grocery purchases.

Previously on EV Grieve:
How can I really be expected to post today when the Storm of Feb. 9™ is here?

How can I really be expected to post today when heavy thunderstorms are likely on the way?

How can I really be expected to post today when 78 degrees™ is on the way?

Thursday's parting shot

Thanks to Durk Snowden for sharing this sunrise shot today...

NYPD offering reward for info in this morning's armed robbery of an off-duty cop on 13th Street

[Photo by Steven]

Police are offering up to a $2,500 reward for information about the early-morning attempted armed robbery on 13th Street (outside No. 208) between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. (Read our earlier post on this here.)

According to multiple published reports, an off-duty NYPD officer was walking home after his shift when a man carrying a gun approached him and demanded his phone.

Per the Post:

When he refused to hand it over, the brute allegedly struck him several times in the head with the weapon, causing lacerations. He fled empty-handed, cops said.

The officer was taken to Bellevue Hospital Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

The thief, who remains at large, is described as a black man in his 20s who was last seen wearing a blue jacket with a yellow hood, black pants and gray sneakers.

Here's a handout of the suspect via the NYPD...



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Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online.